The current shape of all standard racquet handles is uniform from the proximal to the distal aspects of the grip surface. When configured in this fashion, the circumferential size of the grip may be too large for one part of the hand and yet simultaneously too small for another part, while being "correct" for only a small portion of the hand. When used in this standard configuration there is one portion of the gripping surface that is too small for optimal grip force capacity, due to the greater dimension of the longer middle fingers of the human hand. As such, effectively this "small" sized grip does not allow the user to deliver the maximal amount of the power the muscles are capable of producing. However, it does provide improved control of the racquet by providing a circumferential, enveloping grip by the hand. This is in contrast to using a racquet that is large enough for the greatest dimension of the hand, where, due to the smaller dimensions of the index and little fingers, there is likewise a portion of the grip that is "too large". As related to the "anatomical size" of the user's hand, the "too large" portion of the racquet head occurs near the end of the handle where the small fingers are too short. The "too small" portion exits at the middle and forward end of the grip surface which is enveloped by the longest finger. In the standard configuration the maximal grip force obtainable for the smallest portion of the hand may be suboptimal. This results in an inequality in the optimal forces obtainable by the user from the different parts of the hand.
Such inequalities in forces applied on the racquet may result in the hand not being able to adequately prevent twisting or loss of control of the racquet when a ball is hit off center or in an undesirable fashion. There unequal forces are applied in differential fashion to the muscles on either side of the forearm of the radial (lateral) aspect of the hand as compared to the ulnar (medial) aspect of the hand. This is due, at least in part, to the unbalanced forces exerted by flexor carpi radialis on the lateral aspect of the forearm and the flexor carpi unlaris muscles along the medial aspect of the forearm. The current design of the hands or grips on racquets produces unbalanced forces on the hand and forearm when a ball is struck.
In a well developed athlete, the strength of the normal hand muscles are able to compensate for the mechanical disadvantage placed upon these muscles by the demands of the object they are gripping, such as a racquet. The forearm muscles exert considerable force in the function of gripping, and they act in conjunction with the intrinsic hand muscles. However, if there exists an inequality of the intrinsic hand muscles, there is typically also an inequality of the forearm muscles since there must be a concerted action between both sets of muscles. In an attempt to rectify this inequality of use, there may develop subsequent muscular hypertrophy resulting in a gain in contractile effort (or "power" capacity) of selected groups of muscles. This hypertrophy allows the user to manipulate inefficiency with brute muscular force, but unfortunately may lead to even greater hypertrophy. Whenever there is an inequality of strength and power of antagonistic muscles operating across a common joint, a high likelihood of muscular and ligamentous strain can occur.
Thus, when there is repeated inequality in the utilization of the flexor bundles, tendonitis and/or bursitis is quite likely to develop in the muscle group that is under the greater strain. Persons who play racquet sports such as tennis, racquetball, and squash frequently develop bursitis or tendonitis in their joints, especially at the elbow. The exact cause of "tennis elbow" as this infirmity is commonly called, is not completely known, but one major factor is the inefficient use of complimentary, or agonistic, muscles which leads to unequal force exertion and excessive strain across the joints subserved by the muscle groups involved.
The design of the racquet handle of the invention should minimize the occurrence of this malady since the design of the invention will produce a more equal and balanced use of the two main groups of forearm flexors and of the intrinsic hand muscles.